1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle travel control apparatus configured to control an own vehicle to travel while following a following target vehicle traveling ahead of the own vehicle so as to maintain a predetermined inter-vehicle distance to the following target vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
One vehicle travel control apparatus of this type (hereinafter referred to as “related-art apparatus”) known hitherto is configured to predict that, when another vehicle is moving toward between the own vehicle and the following target vehicle under a state where the own vehicle is following the following target vehicle, the another vehicle cuts in between the own vehicle and the following target vehicle. In addition, the related-art apparatus is configured to calculate a target acceleration for another vehicle (predicted cutting-in vehicle) when the related-art apparatus predicts that the another vehicle cuts in, and use the target acceleration to control an acceleration of the own vehicle (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2014-148293).
In other words, under a state where the related-art apparatus detects presence of the predicted cutting-in vehicle, the acceleration of the own vehicle changes even when the vehicle speed of the following target vehicle and the inter-vehicle distance between the following target vehicle and the own vehicle do not change. Therefore, if the driver does not notice the presence of the predicted cutting-in vehicle when the acceleration of the own vehicle changes, there is a fear that the driver may feel a sense of discomfort.
On the other hand, the predicted cutting-in vehicle may return to an original lane immediately after the start of the cutting-in (before completion of the cutting-in). Thus, if the presence of the predicted cutting-in vehicle is simply notified to the driver when the predicted cutting-in vehicle is identified, the notification may be stopped immediately after the notification starts. In other words, when the presence of the predicted cutting-in vehicle is notified to the driver, the notification needs to be carried out at an appropriate timing.
However, in the related-art apparatus, notifying the driver of the presence of the predicted cutting-in vehicle at an appropriate timing is not considered.